Multiplication
by EK
Summary: One shot in 3 parts. Amano Ginji faces his toughest challenge yet: the times table.
1. Part 1: Bet

Hiya. This came out of a casual conversation between my cousin and me that went crazy. She's wholly regretting she gave me the idea, but it was a neat one, and I'm using it. To those tracking Eyes of the Tiger: next chapter will be around after a while. The story is in place, but refuses to get typed. 

Here's to you, sapphi-chan. Sorry it didn't come out the way it was originally planned. My first one-shot for GetBackers. It got too long so I had to chop it into three segments, therefore this story is already complete. Dialogue-intensive, but I hope you like it.

……………………………………………

"Let's see………I ate two sandwiches last Monday, then one last Tuesday," Ginji stared into space, a hand raised and opening up one finger at a time. "That's one, two, three, three sandwiches. Then we had no sandwiches Wednesday, two sandwiches Thursday, and three today. That makes……" he raised more fingers, then counted up the fingers. "Eight sandwiches!"

"Eight sandwiches," Natsumi scribbled on a piece of paper. "A sandwich is 200 yen each, so that makes 1600 yen….."

"Not fair!" Ginji pouted. "How come you could do that so quickly?"

"Which part, Ginji-san?" the girl asked as she looked up.

"That! Eight sandwiches cost a total of 1600 yen!"

"No biggie," she answered. "That's simple multiplication, 8 times 2."

"Huh?"

Natsumi looked at him with disbelief. "Oh, come on, Ginji-san! Don't tell me you don't know your multiplication table!" 

But the terror of Mugenjou Lower Town just looked back with disbelief. "There's a table you can multiply things with, really?"

That was one of the problems with Amano Ginji. He could count up people in his head, and know if he was outnumbered. He could estimate correctly how much charge it would take to fell the enemies present at any given time. He could mentally calculate the force and distance of an electric attack to be effective. But ask him to add numbers beyond ten on a sheet of paper, and he would immediately take out the paper fans and wail. Never mind multiplication: Ginji would simply go into tare mode and croon, "Oh, Ban-chaaaan………"

"Don't even try, Natsumi," Ban puffed out a stream of smoke and smirked. "I've had fist fights with him already, making him learn the times table."

Ginji pouted all the more. "I know I'm not as smart as you, but you don't have to rub it in!"

Natsumi agreed with the blonde young man seated next to her, scratching his head over her paper filled with accountings of the famous GetBackers tab. "He just needs a good teacher, that's all!"

"Are you sure, Natsumi?" Ban tapped out the ashes off the end of his cigarette. "There are people that can be taught. There are people that teach themselves. And there are people like Ginji."

Ginji put on the power gloves and began sparking.

"Oooh, like I'm scared of a little electricity?"

Ban was now in full taunting mode, giving his most condescending smile. This set off his friend even more, and thus began some good-natured knuckling and sparking and name-calling. Natsumi stayed safely behind the counter and giggled as the two continued to toss and tumble. The ceiling lights were reacting to the power fluctuations and flickered.

"Any damage to the Honky Tonk will be taken out of your next job's payment, with interest," Paul calmly but firmly spoke behind a newspaper. It stopped both sparker and heckler in their track. They dusted themselves off, and sat down at the counter.

Ginji sulked as Natsumi handed a glass of water to them. "My life is weird, you know that. I learned how to read, but not much else. It's not my fault I don't know a lot of math……."

"But Ginji-san," she said kindly, "knowing how to add and multiply is basic. You have to learn it, like reading. Consider it a matter of survival, especially outside Mugenjou. What if Ban-san isn't around and you have to compute things?"

He sniffed. "I get your point, but Ban already tried and it didn't work. You're too busy with the dishes and the cooking, and your own homework, to do that for me. Hevn-san won't have the patience."

"Not to worry," the girl smiled at him. "I bet there's a tutor listed in the classifieds who would be willing and able to teach you." 

"If you can find a person who can teach Ginji the times table in one week, I will wash the dishes for a month." Ban smiled with much contempt and whistled a happy tune. Poor Ginji sniffed again, like an abandoned puppy

Natsumi was game. "And if I don't find a person, the Boss can take out the sandwich bills from my paycheck."

"And the pizza and the iced tea and the……."

"JUST the sandwiches, Ban-san!"

"Not a fair deal, Natsumi."

"Alright. The sandwiches, the pizza, the coffee, and the iced tea for this month, if I don't find a tutor." She held out a hand.

"You're on," Ban shook the given hand. "One week. 1 times 1 up to 12 times 12, with no mistake. He should be able to answer problems in random order." 

Ginji could only sweatdrop as the two made a wager, without consulting him or asking his permission! In himself, he was starting to wail already. Natsumi had to find someone crazy enough to teach him math. Even Teshimine-san had given up on that.

Who would take up the challenge?

…………………………………

Ban went out for a long stroll, sincerely wanting to give Ginji a chance to win at the bet without his undue interference. He knew that if he stuck around, he would likely tease his friend incessantly, so he took off. Paul took a text message, and went down to the basement. 

Natsumi tried it herself as soon as the café was deserted after lunch.

She took some peanuts and lined them up on the counter. Two peanuts, plus two peanuts…….is one, two, three, four peanuts, Ginji understood. Now then. Two peanuts, plus two peanuts, plus two peanuts………is one, two, three, four, five, six peanuts total. He was made to observe that they just added two peanuts three times. That's what multiplying was: adding stuff several times. Thus, 2 times 3 is 6. Ginji smiled. He really understood! Natsumi clapped in satisfaction. The bet was going in her favor. 

They started. 2 times 2. Ginji took out two peanuts, then two peanuts. Natsumi nodded, that was right. Then he counted them, one, two, three, four. 2 times 2 is 4! Natsumi asked him to repeat 2 times 3. He repeated what she did, lined up three pairs of peanuts, counted them up, and got six peanuts. Then 2 times 4. Then 2 times 5, all the way to 2 x 12 24. By then Ginji was ready to give the girl a big, big hug. He really wanted to do this right, and so far, he was. 

"Now that we got that, let's see if you can recite it for me," Natsumi said.

"Recite?"

"You have to memorize it, so you don't have to count it up all the time," she explained.

Ginji waved her off. "Naaaah, I don't think that's necessary, thanks."

Natsumi shook her head, and asked Paul downstairs if she can open a new bag of peanuts. "I'll give you the biggest number in the multiplication table." Given permission, she got one from the kitchen, and started to pour out twelve peanuts in twelve groups on the counter.

"That's twelve times twelve, right, Natsumi?" he asked, and she nodded. "That makes, um, let's see……..one, two, three, four, five……."

Natsumi giggled as he desperately tried to count up the peanuts, lost his place by the thirtieth peanut, counted again from the beginning, and lost count again.

She put her hand on his shoulder, after the sixth attempt. "That's enough, Ginji-san. 12 times 12 is 144."

"That BIG!" he wailed. She smiled. "HOW do you know so quickly?"

"That's what I meant, Ginji-san. I know it, because I memorized it in elementary school. So it just takes a few seconds. I don't have to count it all out." She collected the peanuts, placed them in little bowls, then spread them throughout the café. She returned, and took out a piece of paper, and started writing down the table of twos.

Meanwhile, Ginji slumped onto the bar counter. This would require more headwork than he was used to. And he still did not know how this would help him in the future. 

"Now, Ginji-san, repeat after me," Natsumi prodded. "2 times 2 equals 4."

"2 times 2 equals 4," he parroted.

The process was repeated until 2 times 12. And the entire table repeated three more times. So far, Ginji had gotten it right.

"Now, Ginji-san," she turned the paper face down, hiding the equations. "What's 2 times 6?"

Ginji scratched his head. "Let's see…….. 2 times 6 is 10?" She shook her head. "11?" She shook her head again. "12?" She finally nodded. 

"What's 2 times 11?"

"I know this! 2 times 11 is 18!"

She shook her head. 

"I can't do it, Natsumi-chan!" Two little fountains spilled by the side of his face, as he turned into a cute little stuffed toy. Poor Natsumi was almost inclined by now to agree with Ginji, but did not want to show it. 

That was when another, and sinister, voice was heard just above them.

"The table of twos. Interesting dating subject."

"We are NOT on a date!" Ginji shouted back as he blushed and looked up, but not at Ban. His eyes bulged wide.

Natsumi also moved back somewhat. She had gotten used to most of the people from Mugenjou, but not this one. She bowed and greeted. "Hello, erm, Dr. Jackal. Coffee?"

"How can I not consider you two on a date?" the man in the black trenchcoat continued. "A boy and a girl seated close to each other, laughing and enjoying themselves. Do continue and just ignore me." He sat down a few stools away. Of course, Dr. Jackal was a man who was hard to ignore. Natsumi shyly went to the kitchen.

"Akabane-san? Wha-wha-wha-what are you doing here?" Ginji quivered from under a bar stool.

The doctor of death smiled as he held his black, wide-brimmed hat. "I was just looking for Hevn-san, that's all. Things are rather slow. And I hate it when things are slow."

"Hevn-san won't be around until tonight, unfortunately," Ginji explained, still under the stool in tare mode. "I think she's on a date."

"Oh?" He settled himself comfortably at a stool. "I'll wait for her then."

"Um, um, just give Hevn-san a call, Akabane-san! Here, I'll give you the number……"

"What I have to tell her cannot be discussed on the cellular phone. I have to talk to her personally. So I hope you do not mind if I wait."

Yes, they did mind, but what could Natsumi and Ginji do?

Both independently decided to ignore him, for now. Ginji emerged from under the bar stool and sat again beside his teacher. Natsumi came back from the kitchen and flipped over her paper with the table of twos. "Let's try again, Ginji-san."

"That's enough, Natsumi-chan," he said rather firmly. "I know I'm bad at memorizing and reciting. Let's go on to the next one."

"The table of threes, then," she smiled and laid out the peanuts.

"I wager that Ginji-san can be taught the multiplication table in two hours," Akabane chirped from his seat at the far end of the counter, as Natsumi kept grouping.

"Two hours! That's too fast!" Ginji cried, as he stared at the groups of peanuts.

"Just enough for the Thunder Emperor, don't you think?" Akabane tipped up his hat.

Paul came up to the café again. He saw Dr. Jackal but not say anything. He opened up his newspaper again and hid behind it.

"Give us at least four hours!" the blonde sparker pleaded.

"Denied," the doctor said. "I will take a small piece off your khakis for every minute you exceed two hours."

"But, but, Akabane-san!" Ginji kept pleading, fearing that Natsumi would see more of him than she should, from all the shreds by the sharp daggers.

"I cannot believe this, Raitei backing out of a challenge," Akabane shook his head, and faced the manager. "Wan Paul, are you sure that this is the man to take the place of…….."

Paul put down the newspaper. He lowered his glasses and gave the Transporter a terrible piercing glare, one that the other two did not see. Then he covered his eyes again. 

"Point taken." He smiled ever so slightly. "Someday we'll all know why, won't we?"

Paul angrily opened his newspaper again. Then he spoke behind it. "You're taking the bet, Ginji." "Paul-san! You gotta be kidding!" Ginji pulled down the newspaper and cried.

"And Natsumi will help you," the manager added.

"Sir?" the girl's eyes bulged wide.

From under the counter, Paul took out the egg timer and wound it. He put his hand over it, then declared. "Your time starts now." He released the hand, and the timer started ticking.

……………………………………end of part 1.

For those who are wondering, yes, I know what is currently the biggest GetBackers spoiler so far. I'm a big fan of Paul-sama now. Also, I am moving between words (two) and numbers (2) to delineate actual computing and just thinking. Thanks for understanding. 


	2. Part 2: Lesson

Thanks for continuing to part 2. The lesson begins in earnest.

Ginji and Natsumi heard the thumps of their hearts more than the egg timer ticking down the seconds. A bet of a week has now turned into a bet of two hours.

Finally, Ginji gave a wide smile at his anxious tutor. "Well, at least Akabane-san did not say he would kill someone, so I guess it's not so bad. Shall we give it a try, Natsumi-chan?" 

"Well, if you say so," the girl was still quite skeptical. Like most normal students, it had taken her most of a year to master multiplication. Now she was being asked to tutor a crash course. "I'll write it all down first, to make it easier for us later. Why don't you start with the threes while I'm doing this?"

While Natsumi printed down all the tables in twelve sheets of paper, Ginji lined two groups of three peanuts together, and counted them, learning that 3 times 2 was equal to 6. He mumbled "3 times 2 is 6" for a few times, then took another group of three peanuts. He counted all nine peanuts, recited "3 times 3 is 9" several times, then got another group of peanuts. By the time Natsumi was done listing, Ginji had managed to learn that 3 times 12 was equal to 36, counting very quickly for the last few numbers.

"Very good, Ginji-san!" she patted him on the head like a good puppy. "Now read them all out for me," she presented the written table of threes.

Two minutes reviewing and reciting, then three minutes quizzing of the twos and threes tables. They moved on to the table of fours, then fives, using their peanut method. So far it worked, and the table of fours and fives was cleared in half an hour.

But as the table of sixes came around, Ginji slowly realized that the numbers were getting too large to count quickly from scratch every time. So he started counting from where the last number ended. "6 times 2 is…." Ginji counted out two groups of six peanuts. "12." He pushed down another set of six. "3 groups now. Twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen…..eighteen! 6 times 3 is 18!" And so forth. As previously, at the end of the exercise Natsumi reviewed him and made him recite for two minutes, then gave a three minute mix of all the previous questions.

That system worked for the table of sixes and sevens, but the numbers were still getting larger. And an hour had already passed.

To add to the pressure, Dr. Jackal stood from his place at the end of the counter every ten minutes, and peered over the paper they were working on. "Interesting, very interesting" was all he would say, then he patted Ginji on the shoulder and went back to his seat.

"Sorry, Ginji-san, but from now on you just have to trust me on the numbers," Natsumi finally decided. "The peanut-counting will slow us down."

Ginji sighed but agreed, as he peered down at the paper filled with eights.

"Now repeat after me," she prompted, still grouping out peanuts for him to see, but not letting him count them anymore. "8 times 2 is 16………8 times 3 is 24………." The process was then used for the nines table as well. 

Her poor student, she saw, was getting lost in the big numbers, even with visual representation available. She slowed down a bit for him at this section. She had trouble with her table of eights and nines, too. She took extra time for reviewing and quizzing, until both of them were sure he got at least majority of them settled in his brain.

"The tens table and the elevens table are really easy," Natsumi cheered him on at the end of it. "Just add a zero to the number. For example……" she laid out the peanuts in two groups of ten. "2 times 10?"

Ginji counted it out. "Twenty."

"Notice, 20 is just 2 with a 0 after it. The same goes with all the other numbers. So, 3 times 10 is?"

"3 with a 0 after it……..30!"

"That's right!" Natsumi clapped.

Natsumi finished the rest of the tens table in like manner. They were done in under five minutes.

"For the elevens, just write the number twice. 2 times 2 is 22, 2 and 2 together. Get it?"

"Got it!"

"So 5 times 5 is?"

"5 and 5 together, 55!"

"Very good! Just remember, though, that the last three are exceptions to the rule. 11 times 10 is 11 with a 0, so it's 110. 11 times 11 is 121. And 11 times 12 is 132. Okay?" 

Ginji repeated the last three for a few times, then said okay.

"Now we come to table of twelves, the peak of the times table. But this is pretty much a review table, since all the other tables have a 2 times 12, 3 times 12, right?"

Ginji nodded.

"One hour and fifteen minutes," Akabane reminded, much amused that they were already at the twelves table.

Natsumi sighed.

"Don't worry, Natsumi-chan, we'll make it!" Ginji took up her hand and patted it. "I believe in you!"

She looked up at him, and smiled. "You don't have to do this, Ginji-san," she reminded.

"Of course, we do! You made a bet with Ban-chan, then Paul-san raised the stakes. We have to do it. 2 times 12 is 24, then 3 times 12 is 36, right?"

She could not believe what she was hearing. He who despaired a few hours earlier of ever getting past 2 plus 2 was now pushing her on.

She now understood for herself, that power he had over people. That simple power to believe.

She sniffed and nodded. "That's right, Ginji-san! Now what's 12 times 4?" 

She left the ones and zeros tables for last, judging that she had some clear explaining to do with them, but easy enough once the explaning was over. 

She took out two peanuts, and laid it on the table. "How many peanuts?"

"Two," he said.

"Now I'm multiplying it one time," she took up the two peanuts, then placed them back on the table. "How many do we have now?"

"Still two," he said.

"Okay." She then laid out three peanuts, and repeated what she did. "How many?"

"Still three."

"Any numbers times 1 is that number, because you didn't add anything to it," but even she found her explanation confusing. "Do you sort-of get it?"

He shook his head. 

"I thought so," she said. "So just remember, 1 times any number is that number. 1 times 3 is 3, and 1 times 4 is 4. Do you get it now?"

"Yup!"

She gave the run-through of the ones table, and gave the usual quizzing at the end.

"I left the easiest one for last," Natsumi said, as she kept away all the peanuts, and glanced at the egg timer counting one hour and forty-five minutes. "How many nuts do we have now?"

"Zero," came the reply.

She held out an empty palm, and another empty palm for him to see. "Okay, now let's add this group of zero peanuts," she showed one palm, "with this group of zero peanuts," and presented the other palm. "0 plus 0, or 0 times 2. How many do we have?"

"Still zero," he answered.

She reached for his large palm, and placed it on the table with her hands. "You're holding a third group of zero peanuts, okay? 0 times 3?"

"Zero," he said.

"That's right! Whenever you hear 'zero' multiplied by something, no matter how big or small the number, the answer always is zero. Got it?"

"Yup!"

"So, 0 times 12?"

"Zero!"

"And 5 times 0?"

"Zero!"

She quizzed him on the twelve numbers, and mixed them with the other problems. She went over the sixes, sevens, eights, and nines to be doubly sure. Satisfied, she grinned at her boss, and declared, "We're done!"

Paul smiled as well, and stopped the timer.

Teacher and student looked at the timer, and did not believe what they saw. "Congratulations! One hour and fifty-five minutes." Natsumi gave a glomp worthy of the world's biggest glomper, as said biggest glomper remained stunned. 

"Very good," Dr. Jackal gave a steady slow clap-clap. "A feat worthy of the Thunder Emperor. Although," he stopped clapping, and gave the former Thunder Emperor a knowing stare, "whether he remembers any of it remains to be seen."

Ginji gulped.

…………………………………end of Part 2.

Egad, This chapter had me checking my multiplication with a calculator. It's been so long since I've had to use 11 times 12, I've already forgotten. My tough table was the eights table, and my particular pet peeve is 8 times 7 equals 54. 


	3. Part 3: Examination

The final part of the trilogy (ewwww...no more trilogies, no more!). Thank you for reading this far. I hope you like it. The lesson will get a scary practice drill.

Ban sauntered into the Honky Tonk, a bagful of groceries in one arm and a new cigarette in the other hand. "Ah, so Natsumi decided to save and not spend for a tutor! How's the math lesson going?"

Natsumi and Ginji had iced tea and sandwiches between them, one of which Ginji was munching happily. "We're done!"

"Seriously? Up to 12 times 12?"

Ginji's head bobbed up and down. He then pointed to the corner where the man with the black hat quietly sipped on a cup of coffee. "We had some, erm, positive reinforcement."

Ban did not even want to know why Dr. Jackal was there. He did not want to know what the creepy man did to make Ginji learn the entire times table in one afternoon. But he did want to know if Ginji's claim was true. "Alright, smart man, what's 9 times 4?"

The blonde sparker looked up at the wooden ceiling. "Um, um, it's an even number…….um, 40?"

"I thought so," Ban sighed. "4 times 9?"

"Hm……let's see……...32?"

It was then that Ban laughed hard. "I told you how hard it would be, Natsumi! Take your time! I gave you a week, didn't I?" 

"I'll get it right, I promise!" Ginji pleaded, as he glanced at Dr. Jackal, smiling his creepy smile.

"When? When hell freezes over?"

"Not that long!" And the blonde young man pounced to knuckle his spike-haired friend. 

The café telephone rang. Paul answered the phone, then covered the receiver with his hand. "Kids, call for Ginji. It's MakubeX."

Ginji took up the call, and soon heard a boy talking quickly in a panic. "Raitei-sama! Hurry, please! Need help fast!"

"Take it easy, MakubeX, take it easy," he tried to calm the boy. "What's the matter?"

"Major virus attack! People in Lower Town are acting like zombies! I'm making an antivirus as we speak, but I need help to quarantine the virus from outside, and keep it from affecting more people! Hurry!"

"On my way," Ginji said.

"Who's there with you?"

"Ban-chan and Akabane-san, would that be enough?"

"Hopefully. Hurry!" 

Ginji repeated what MakubeX told him. It shocked both GetBackers that Dr. Jackal agreed to go with them. "At least it would end the current boredom," he smiled as he put on his large hat.

………………………………………

The boy prince of Lower Town was accurate in his concern. Even at the entrance to Mugenjou they were attacked by residents without seeing eyes, in little groups.

"One, two, three, four, five groups of approximately 10 people each," Ginji scanned the people encircling them. "5 times 10 equals 50. Hey, this multiplication thing really CAN help out!"

"Twenty-five people each, then, Ginji, how about it?" Ban grinned.

"And I?" Akabane raised a handful of daggers.

"NO killing anybody, Akabane-san! They're just hit by a virus!" Ginji pleaded.

MakubeX's voice resonated in the room the three were in. "This virus is much like Mr. Smith, understand? It takes over a body while it's useful to it, then moves on to another when it's threatened. In its pure form it is a distorted version of the previous body. Got it, guys?"

"Perfectly," and Akabane slashed vertically at a distorted image that ran past him. Ginji just had to clap. 

The GetBackers gave it a try, and failed miserably, knocking innocents unconscious needlessly. Electric and Snake Bite attacks were slightly too slow for it. It was frustrating. But an unspoken consensus was made. Ban and Ginji stopped the infected as best they can, then Dr. Jackal slashed at the virus itself. In one minute, all their attackers were down, and free of the virus.

"Thanks, everyone," MakubeX said over them. "Unfortunately there are whole streets like this right now."

They opened the door further down the room, and ran. "Which ones?" Ginji called out.

"Six streets each at West end and North end."

"6 times 2 is 12," Ginji parroted.

"Then four streets each at South, East, and Northwest."

"4 times 3 is also 12," he grinned in spite of himself. "2 times 12 is 24. We have a total of 24 streets to fix."

"Wow, you catch on quickly!" Ban smiled. "For a dunderhead."

Ginji, however, was now serious. "How do we deal with 24 streets without Shido and Kazuki?"

"One street at a time," Akabane answered him, and threw out five darts, felling five distorted figures. 

The operation was successful for the first few streets at the west end, as they cleared the six streets within an hour. By the time they reached the final street, Akabane was yawning as he sped and slashed. 

"Let's make this a little interesting, since this will take quite a while," he offered. "I will slash an infected person each time you give me a wrong answer."

"No, NO, Akabane-san!" Ginji pleaded as he sparked an attacker.

"7 times 7, Ginji-san," he raised a dagger.

"Um….um……..it's close to 50, I'm sure………"

Akabane gave the closest attacker a bright red J to the back.

"AKABANE-SAN!" Ginji shouted, as the attacker fell at his feet.

"I told you I wanted to make things interesting," the man in black smiled at him. "12 times 12?"

"A….A……A……..144!"

And Akabane eliminated a distortion about to perch on Ginji's back. "Let's see how well the little waitress taught you. 8 times 5?" 

That was how the three finished off the next set of streets at the north side of Lower Town, a high-speed math drill between Dr. Jackal and Ginji. For the former Raitei, it was almost brainless to shock and save citizens, because he had done it for such a long time. It was the times table that had his full attention. No one else will die just because he did not answer 5 times 12. He HAD to get it right, every time. For the people in Lower Town. For Natsumi. And yes, for himself. 

"The antivirus is done," MakubeX called out through the public address system. "I'll be applying it first to the remaining areas, so be more careful. There will be fewer distortions present. I still need you guys to help contain the spread so the antivirus can work faster."

"Gotcha," Ginji grinned at the nearest video camera and raised the peace sign.

"And, Ginji-san….."

"Yeah?"

"7 times 9?" Ginji could hear the smile on the boy's face.

"You, too, MakubeX?" the blonde sweatdropped. "63."

"Keep it up, Ginji-san!" and the boy cut the line. 

"Yare-yare……."

The math drill continued. None of them slackened their pace for it; they moved just as quickly through the streets and alleys, under Ginji's instinctive directions. Those who were not affected gave way as soon as they saw the former Raitei. Those who were infected charged directly into Ban and Ginji, and as they were shocked or punched to submission, Dr. Jackal had a fiery dagger ready to hit the distortion that emerged. And always, just before he struck, he would ask question after question. Ginji strained to hear accurately, then answered as quickly as the questions came. Always, correctly. There was no room for error, when lives were at stake.

"This is somewhat irritating me, Ginji-san," Akabane said as they entered the final two streets. "I have killed only once throughout this whole escapade."

"And it will stay that way!" Ginji replied with iron will.

It was one job where Ginji talked more than Ban, not that Ban was complaining. His friend had somehow managed to master the multiplication table in a few hours, something that took him a few days back when he was a lot smaller. He was quite pleased for his friend. Only one thing made this development saddening. He had lost the bet. He would be washing dishes for a month.

"One final question, Ginji-san," Akabane asked and held up a dagger, "0 times 12?" 

Ginji shocked a resident at the last street, and made the final distortion to materialize. "Zero!"

Akabane made the final slash.

"Mugenjou is free of the big bad virus," Ban declared and cocked his glasses. "A total of 200 questions were asked, from 0 times 0 to 12 times 12, some repeated. Amano Ginji is cleared of the big bad times table." He smirked to his friend, and gave a thumbs up.

"That's the last of them, guys!" MakubeX himself appeared on a TV screen beside Ban. "Thank you very much for your help. You made things much easier for me." From behind him Ren was also waving and saying her own thanks.

"Anytime!" Ginji said and waved back. He then walked slowly to Dr. Jackal and twiddled his thumbs. "Erm, um, thanks, Akabane-san. We couldn't have done it without you, that's the truth."

"Well, no kills except one, but it had been an enjoyable afternoon, Ginji-san, intellectually stimulating," he said as he held the hat on his head. "Many adults can't do that perfectly with the multiplication table. Very good."

"It was either that or you killed an innocent bystander!" Ginji sulked.

"Say hello to the pretty waitress for me when you go back," Dr. Jackal said, and disappeared into the night. 

The GetBackers looked at each other, and shrugged.

Ban eventually shouted at the ceiling, "Hey, genius, how are we supposed to get paid?"

"I remitted an amount already, equivalent to your current tab at the Honky Tonk," the answer came back through the speakers. "Take care of yourselves as you go out."

Ginji said thank you thank you thank you, but Ban said, "That's all? Such a tightwad!"

"Shall I take it back, Ban-san?" MakubeX asked.

"That's not what I meant," Ban laughed uneasily. He tucked his friend under an arm and started walking to the exit. "Let's get outta here before I change my mind. 8 times 4?"

"A…..A………30?" Ginji asked sheepishly. 

"You need more practice," Ban knuckled his friend's head. 

…………………………………………

The next day, Natsumi arrived after school, and found a thoroughly chastised Midou Ban behind a soapy sink, a tall pile of dirty plates on one side. "A deal's a deal," he said.

"But, but, Ginji-san hasn't been quizzed yet!" Natsumi protested.

"Oh, but he has, and I'm satisfied," he said. "Good work, Natsumi."

"But it wasn't me……."

"Can you try and teach him how to add columns of numbers next?" He chuckled. "Not a bet, just a favor."

She looked at Ban carefully. He was genuinely happy, both for Ginji and her. She had accomplished what he thought was impossible, and she had done his friend a good turn. She knew that Ban could probably tell. She did want to do it again.

"Of course."

……………………………

My cousin is a big Akabane fan. She would rant about Aka-chan, the way I used to rant about Enishi (major basis for Ban) being my boyfriend. Anyway, she was telling my mom and me that, because of health problems, she was doing most of her schoolwork now from home. We asked if she has a tutor, but she said no. Unfortunately, I started to giggle, having this vision of Dr. Jackal as her tutor, looming over my cousin and peering over her homework. Complete with big black hat, saying, "Hmmm, very interesting…….." She laughed, too, saying that would make a good fic. She suggested Himiko, but I said it wouldn't be funny that way. Ginji, then? That's it! And we had the start of a weird story. I'm somewhat sorry it turned out this way, with Natsumi being the principal tutor, but it's not so bad. Thank you so much for reading this little piece, and I hope you liked it! 


End file.
